This invention pertains to a convertible carrying assembly that may be used as a carrying bag such as an over-the-shoulder handbag, a totebag, a backpack, or the like, having multiple components. The convertible carrying assembly of this invention will be referred to herein as a “carrying bag,” although it will be understood that this term refers to carrying assemblies of varying sizes and styles that are suitable to a wide variety of uses, including overnight bags, women”s purses, wheeled airplane carry-ons, gym bags, personal carryalls in general, any carrying bag combination for personal use. If desired, an internal organizer having drawers may be integrated as an internal component of the carrying bag. The organizer may also be removed from the carrying bag to become a stand-alone desktop organizer or other drawer-style container. An inner pouch is convertible to a smaller carrying bag or purse; and the removable external covering may be converted to a variety of uses including a clutch handbag, an infant changing pad, a pet blanket, a garment bag, or other, similar articles.
Carrying bags are traditionally used to carry and keep within arm's reach a wide range of useful tools and items that may be needed or used numerous times during the course of a day. Typical items commonly carried in a carrying bag may include clothing, shoes, cosmetics and beauty aids, combs and hairbrushes, automobile and house keys, travel or airline tickets, pens and notepads, cellular telephone, checkbook, personal data assistant (PDA), wallet, money, credit cards, and other useful items. One problem frequently associated with carrying so many items of diverse sizes and shapes is that it becomes difficult to easily or quickly find a particular needed item within the single storage enclosure that is typical of most carrying bags. Not only must a person carrying such a bag on a shoulder go through difficult and sometimes painful contortions to view or reach objects in the bag, but the items usually are layered atop one another, and a desired item may be hidden underneath others. Although carrying bags having separators, pockets, and pouches for various items have found some popularity, it may be difficult for a person using such a bag to remember in which section, pocket, or pouch a particular needed item may have been placed. In that situation, the search through a single storage enclosure has been replaced by multiple searches through each pocket and pouch until the particular needed item is located. In either case, it is inconvenient and time-consuming for a person using a carrying bag to search through the bag every time a particular item is required. What is needed is a carrying bag organizer that is convenient to use, and that intuitively suggests the location of particular items that are carried in the bag.